DESCRIPTION

The kernel socket programming interface permits in-kernel consumers to
interact with local and network socket objects in a manner similar to
that permitted using the socket(2) user API. These interfaces are
appropriate for use by distributed file systems and other network-aware
kernel services. While the user API operates on file descriptors, the
kernel interfaces operate directly on structsocket pointers.
Except where otherwise indicated, socket functions may sleep, and are not
appropriate for use in an ithread(9) context or while holding non-
sleepable kernel locks.
CreatingandDestroyingSockets
A new socket may be created using socreate(). As with socket(2),
arguments specify the requested domain, type, and protocol via dom, type,
and proto. The socket is returned via aso on success. In addition, the
credential used to authorize operations associated with the socket will
be passed via cred (and will be cached for the lifetime of the socket),
and the thread performing the operation via td. Warning: authorization
of the socket creation operation will be performed using the thread
credential for some protocols (such as raw sockets).
Sockets may be closed and freed using soclose(), which has similar
semantics to close(2).
ConnectionsandAddresses
The sobind() function is equivalent to the bind(2) system call, and binds
the socket so to the address nam. The operation would be authorized
using the credential on thread td.
The soconnect() function is equivalent to the connect(2) system call, and
initiates a connection on the socket so to the address nam. The
operation will be authorized using the credential on thread td. Unlike
the user system call, soconnect() returns immediately; the caller may
msleep(9) on so->so_timeo while holding the socket mutex and waiting for
the SS_ISCONNECTING flag to clear or so->so_error to become non-zero. If
soconnect() fails, the caller must manually clear the SS_ISCONNECTING
flag.
The soshutdown() function is equivalent to the shutdown(2) system call,
and causes part or all of a connection on a socket to be closed down.
SocketOptions
The sogetopt() function is equivalent to the getsockopt(2) system call,
and retrieves a socket option on socket so. The sosetopt() function is
equivalent to the setsockopt(2) system call, and sets a socket option on
socket so.
The second argument in both sogetopt() and sosetopt() is the sopt pointer
to a structsopt describing the socket option operation. The caller-
allocated structure must be zeroed, and then have its fields initialized
to specify socket option operation arguments:
sopt_dir Set to SOPT_SET or SOPT_GET depending on whether this is a
get or set operation.
sopt_level Specify the level in the network stack the operation is
targeted at; for example, SOL_SOCKET.
sopt_name Specify the name of the socket option to set.
sopt_val Kernel space pointer to the argument value for the socket
option.
sopt_valsize Size of the argument value in bytes.
SocketI/O
The soreceive() function is equivalent to the recvmsg(2) system call, and
attempts to receive bytes of data from the socket so, optionally blocking
awaiting for data if none is ready to read. Data may be retrieved
directly to kernel or user memory via the uio argument, or as an mbuf
chain returned to the caller via mp0, avoiding a data copy. Only one of
the uio or mp0 pointers may be non-NULL. The caller may optionally
retrieve a socket address on a protocol with the PR_ADDR capability by
providing storage via non-NULL psa argument. The caller may optionally
retrieve control data mbufs via a non-NULL controlp argument. Optional
flags may be passed to soreceive() via a non-NULL flagsp argument, and
use the same flag name space as the recvmsg(2) system call.
The sosend() function is equivalent to the sendmsg(2) system call, and
attempts to send bytes of data via the socket so, optionally blocking if
data cannot be immediately sent. Data may be sent directly from kernel
or user memory via the uio argument, or as an mbuf chain via top,
avoiding a data copy. Only one of the uio or top pointers may be
non-NULL. An optional destination address may be specified via a
non-NULL addr argument, which may result in an implicit connect if
supported by the protocol. The caller may optionally send control data
mbufs via a non-NULL control argument. Flags may be passed to sosend()
using the flags argument, and use the same flag name space as the
sendmsg(2) system call.
Kernel callers running in ithread(9) context, or with a mutex held, will
wish to use non-blocking sockets and pass the MSG_DONTWAIT flag in order
to prevent these functions from sleeping.

SEEALSO

HISTORY

The socket(2) system call appeared in 4.2BSD. This manual page was
introduced in FreeBSD 7.0.

AUTHORS

This manual page was written by Robert Watson.

BUGS

The use of explicitly passed credentials, credentials hung from
explicitly passed threads, the credential on curthread, and the cached
credential from socket creation time is inconsistent, and may lead to
unexpected behaviour. It is possible that several of the td arguments
should be cred arguments, or simply not be present at all.
The caller may need to manually clear SS_ISCONNECTING if soconnect()
returns an error.
The MSG_DONTWAIT flag is not implemented for sosend(), and may not always
work with soreceive() when zero copy sockets are enabled.
This manual page does not describe how to register socket upcalls or
monitor a socket for readability/writability without using blocking I/O.
The soref() and sorele() functions are not described, and in most cases
should not be used, due to confusing and potentially incorrect
interactions when sorele() is last called after soclose().